Leonardo lauds positive Inter season

Posted Sunday, May 15, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan coach Leonardo insisted his team have had a positive season despite surrendering the Serie A title and Champions League crown.

Having won the treble last season under Jose Mourinho Inter can only retain the Italian Cup in this campaign.

They play Palermo in the final on May 29 but before then have two more league matches to play to try and at least secure second place.

They travel to Napoli on Sunday, the same opponents against whom Leonardo made his debut as Inter coach in January.

Since then his team have picked up 49 points, more than anyone else, but that wasn't enough to undo the club's poor first half to the season under Rafael Benitez.

"There's still three more games, two in the league and the Cup final," said Leonardo.

"I know the numbers, no other team has won as many points (in the same period) and with all that went on, including our damned week, it's been a positive season."

The damned week he spoke of was the four-day period in which his side effectively lost both the Serie A title and their place in Europe.

A 3-0 derby defeat to AC Milan left them five points off the Serie A pace and was followed by a 5-2 defeat at home to Schalke 04 in the Champions League, a deficit that proved beyond their powers of recovery in the second leg a week later.

As for strengthening for next season, Leonardo would not be drawn on any names, even that of Lille's Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard.

"We already have all we need to be competitive. If everyone is at 100 percent we have a good squad," he said.

"(Hazard) has potential, he did well this year and last year. He's young, he's improving and he's on the market but we haven't made a bid."